Beautiful Scott Part 1

"I wonder how many babies were born on my birthday". Scott's question melts my heart. Scott and I are under a large blanket, he on his side surrounded in pillows – it is vital to take pressure off his back to prevent skin breakdown. I have my legs elevated on a large white wedge. I hope my spastic body didn’t interrupt him last night.

I do a mental assessment of my sensations. My feet are cold, my chest feels clammy. Sunlight is seeping through our frayed blinds (Curtesy of Tigger and Ziggy, mementos from when they were kittens, who are currently waking up and about to begin their morning ritual of battle of the zoomies)

"I want to walk into a hospital and say happy birthday to all the babies!"

God, I love this man.

"I had a nice dream about the beach last night. The sun was shining and there were nice waves."

Scott loved to surf before his accident.

"Too bad I didn't know you when I was running the paper route. I'd buy you a nice sandwich and pour you a cup of coffee and we’d go back to my house and play kung fu."

Every second of every moment of every day, I fall in love with him over and over.

Scott and I have known each other…..well known of each other...since we were kids, growing up in the same sleepy town.

Scott and I never quite clicked.

I was shy, frighteningly depressed- escaping into Sweet Vally High novels and gazing through my telescope, searching for the rings of Saturn.

Scott on the other hand, was sporty, daring, outspoken, and all-around coolest guy in town. But little did I know, he was gazing through telescopes looking for the rings of Saturn too.

In High School, Scott was readying to join the Marines, his dream to become a fighter pilot...

It was a hot day when Scott dove into the ocean, he hit something that sounded like the loudest bang he had ever heard in his 18 years of life. His neck broke, his nose grazed the ocean floor. Light would fade into the darkest of dark. By the grace of miracles, he would be pulled out of the sea, CPR performed, light returned. As a medevac picked him up from the beach, and as they flew into Cooper Scott joked: I guess this in my last ride.

From that day, the world spun in chaotic motion.